By Fabian Fellmann, Washington, and
Oliver Meiler, Rome
It is already the fourth meeting of Joe Biden with Pope Francis, so a certain routine could set in. But the private audience on Friday in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican has what it takes to be a particularly memorable encounter. In a curious coincidence, Biden will seek support from the Pope against his American bishops. It is a coincidence that is somewhat reminiscent of the heyday of papal realpolitik, as we know it from the eventful past of the Vatican, a coincidence that is favored by the kinship of two men and by the fact that they are troubled by the same adversaries.